Outside mirror apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

A mirror assembly is inclinably mounted on a resin shaft via a spring and a resin stopper.

1. An outside mirror apparatus for a vehicle including a mirror assembly that is inclinable with respect to a vehicle body, the outside mirror apparatus comprising:
 a base that is fixed to the vehicle body; 
 a shaft that is made of resin and fixed to the base; 
 a stopper that is made of resin and fixed to the shaft; 
 a spring that is arranged around the shaft while compressed by the stopper; and 
 the mirror assembly that is inclinably mounted on the shaft via the spring and the stopper, wherein 
 the shaft includes
 a contacting portion on one end having an engaging portion on an opposite side of the one end of the shaft, 
 
 the stopper includes
 a ring-shaped main body having a first end from which the shaft is inserted; 
 a spring contacting portion located on the first end of the main body and brought into contact with the spring; and 
 a plurality of engaging nails arranged along an inner peripheral surface of the first end of the main body and elastically engaged with the engaging portion, and 
 
 the main body is formed of such an elastic member that is elastically enlarged outwardly at portions corresponding to respective engaging nails and contracted inwardly at respective portions between adjacent engaging nails when the shaft is inserted in the main body from the first end and each of the engaging nails is brought into contact with the contacting portion, and that elastically returns to an original shape when each of the engaging nails reaches the engaging portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The outside mirror apparatus for a vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the stopper includes a contact portion that is brought into contact with, when each of the engaging nails is elastically engaged with the engaging portion, the shaft in a direction in which the main body elastically returns. 
     
     
       3. The outside mirror apparatus for a vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion of the shaft and the engaging nails of the stopper include a retaining member that prevents the stopper from coming off from the shaft due to elastic deformation of the main body. 
     
     
       4. The outside mirror apparatus for a vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the stopper includes a plurality of retainers arranged along an inner peripheral surface of a second end of the main body and brought into contact with an outer peripheral surface of one end of the shaft in a radial direction of the shaft to retain the shaft. 
     
     
       5. The outside mirror apparatus for a vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein a cover that covers at least part of the spring extends from the first end of the main body of the stopper. 
     
     
       6. The outside mirror apparatus for a vehicle according to  claim 5 , wherein a portion of the cover on an opposite side of the main body and the mirror assembly include retainers in contact with each other in a radial direction of the shaft to retain the shaft. 
     
     
       7. The outside mirror apparatus for a vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the main body of the stopper is integrated with the spring.